Method of and apparatus for the production of weft or cops on weft ring-spinning machines



NI. CHANE. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THEPRODUCTION 0F WEFT 0R COPS 0N WEFT RING SPINNING MACHINES.

I I APPLICATION FILED AFR-7,1917.

. PZI'IIGIltGd M0 2 SHEEISSHEET I.

I NV EN TOR.

IV] TNESS:

M. CHANE.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF WEFT O'R COPS 0N WE FT RING SPINNING MACHINES,

rr' P V APPLICATION FILED APR. 7,1917- is d 7 (9 Patented. May 10, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS sure 'r'r MAURICE CRANE, or nounu, FRANCE.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF WEFT OR COPS ON WEFT RING- SPINNING MACHINES.

Application filed. April 7, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAURICE CHANI J, citizen of the French Republic, residingat Rouen, in the Department of the Seine- Infrieure, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for the Production of Weft or Cops on Weft Ring-Spinning Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved method of and apparatus for the production of weft spools or cops on weft ring throstle. spinning frames as well as on all other kinds of ring throstle spinning machines, wherein the cop is spun or built upon tubes of wood or cardboard, as for example, in the Northrop process, or more particularly upon light paper tubes similar to those used on self-acting mules.

This kind of weft cops produced on ring throstle spinning frames is intended more particularly for use in the shuttles of looms having an automatic weft replenishing apparatus.

It is well known that weft yarn can be spun with a slight amount of twisting upon light paper tubes in weft ring throstle spinning frames, said tubes being in every way similar to the tubes used on self-acting mule, yet the weft cops so produced on ring throstlc spinning frames have not the same qualities as cops produced on the self-acting mule inasmuch as they do not unwind properly in the shuttle, because the weft thread almost always breaks when the former weft cops are nearing their end, that is to say, at about one-half or two-thirds of the cop bottom.

This drawback is very serious because it results in a great waste of weft, and conse quently it has been an obstacle in the way of an increased adoption of weft cops produced on the ring spinning frame, whereas such increased adoption would be a very valuable feature for the spinning industry.

The present invention has now for its object to remedy the above mentioned very serious drawback, and consequently by assuring a perfect unwinding of this kind of weft cop in the loom shuttle, to promote an increased adoption of weft yarn spun on ring spinning frames, and more particularly Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Inlay M9, 1921..

Serial No. 160,364.

of such tubes.

The invention consists in improvements in the method of building the weft cops in ring spinning frames, and also in the means applied to the said ring spinning frames, for the purpose of achieving the said improvements.

lhese improvements in the method of building weft cops in ring spinning frames, and which constitute the chief part of the invention, are essentially as follows:

Two different true amounts of twist are given to the spun weft yarn during the building of the cop, namely:

1 A true amount of twist much greater than that ordinarily used for weft, from the yarn built in cops on light paper commencement of the lift to toward the middle or about two-thirds of the cop bottom.

2. A true amount of twist equal to that ordinarily used for weft, from the middle or about two-thirds of the cop bottom to the end of the lift.

This improvement in the building of the cops on weft ring spinning frames, has the result of doing away with the hereinbefore stated drawback of the weft thread break ing in the loom shuttles as it is being unwound from the shuttle spool.

In ord r to facilitate the understanding of the improved method forming part of the invention, it is to be noted that the expres sion true amount of twist intended in the specification to designate what is usually called. the amount of twist (T) as employed in practical spinning, namely: N:L:T, wherein, N denotes the speed of the spindles, and L the length of delivery of the first drawing roller during a unit of time.

It is well known that in a ring spinning frame, the true amount of twisting is never equal to the twisting actually imparted to the spun yarn, because the speed of the traveler which controls the said twisting, is at no time equal to the speed of the spindle.

The true twisting is always greater than the actual twisting, and the difference between the two amounts of twisting varies as a function of the diameter of the tube on which the yarn is wound, and is the greater the smaller th diameter of the tube, and vice versa,

In the self-acting mule this does not apply because the true twisting is always equal to the actually imparted twist; irrespectively of the place on the cop or of the diameter of the tube.

In view of the foregoing therefore, if the same coefficient of twisting be adopted for the ring spinning frame as for the self-acting mule, for instance a coefficient 13.5 to let, then the twist actually imparted to the weft is always less than the twist received by the weft spun on the self-acting mule, and the difference will be greater the smaller the diameter of the spindle or tube on which the cop is built.

Without entering into highly complicated theoretical calculations, it may be said that for the first layers of the cop and up to about the middle or two-thirds of the cop bottom, the actual twist is very considerably less than the true twist, and may even not exceed to 7 5 per cent. of the latter as re gards the first rising layers of the cop; this constitutes a considerable decrease.

The serious defect of the thread breaking in the shuttle, is due to that circumstance alone. As a matter of fact, if the twist in the weft yarn is according to definition a minimum and just equal to the amount considered absolutely necessary to enable the thread to unwind properly in the case of weft yarn spun on a self-acting mule, it is obvious that the twist in the first layers (particularly the rising ones) of the weft cops produced on a ring spinning frame will be about 25 to 30 per cent. less than the above stated minimum which is considered to be absolutely necessary, and this less amount will occur just at the very place where the approximatelycylindrical shape of the layers of spun yarn increases by a great. deal the friction and consequently the resistance to unwinding and therefore alsothe risk of breakage.

Thus if the improvements of this invention have the outward effect of increasing the true twist of yarn spun on the ring spinning frame as regards the first layers of the cop, their actual effect to maintain approximately the actual twist of the half or two-thirds of the cop bottom at a value about equal to the mean effective torsion of a layer of the cop body, or preferably slightly above this value.

In carrying the improved method into effect it will generally be sufficient, in order to obtain the desires result as a whole, to give to the first half, or, as maximum, to about two-thirds of the cop bottom, a common twist greater by 20 per cent. than the ordinary weft twist, where as is often the case, 14; is adopted as the coefficient of twis ing. 1V here the very usual coefiicient of 15 is adopted, the difference may be reduced to 15 per cent.

The improved method of building weft cops according to this invention on weft ring spinning frames and other ring spinning machines, may be carried into effect by means of numerous types of apparatus. t is however preferred to employ for this purpose the improved apparatus forming the second part of this invention, and arrangements of which are illustrated, by way of examples, in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of my apparatus partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1, partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a detail of some of the elements of my apparatus;

Fig. 4. is a side elevation of a modification of my apparatus; and

Fig. 5 is a detail view of some of the elements shown in Fig. 4:.

As shown in those drawings, the first constructional example given of an apparatus for carrying the hereinbefore described improved method into effect, consists in a comination of simple strong devices mounted on the ordinary framing of a weft ring spin ning frame, comprising a box 1 mounted to revolve loose on the main shaft 2 of the frame.

This box 1 contains a suitable number of pawls 3 adapted to engage the teeth of a ratchet wheel 1 fixed on the mainshaft Q. The box 1 is also provided on its outer periphery with teeth 5 which replace the teeth of the ordinary pinion that serves to drive the drawing rollers and the winding on motion in ring spinning frames.

A pinion 6 fixed on the mainshaft 2 engages the teeth 7 of one member 8 of a clutch (preferably of the claw type) mounted loose on a second shaft 9; the other member 8 of the clutch is fixed on the second shaft 9.

A pinion 10 fixed on the second shaft 9 engages the teeth 5 of the ratchet box 1.

In the example shown, as a first constructional device, the operation of the apparatus is as follows:

When the clutch 8, 8' is open and the mainshaft 2 is started to revolve in the usual direction of motion indicated by the arrow, the pawls 3 being caused by gravity to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 4;, will drive the box 1 and therefore also the teeth 5 at the speed of the mainshaft 2.

The pinion 10 which has the same number of teeth as the teeth 5, will then drive the secondary shaft 9 at the same speed as that of the shaft 2, and the frame will work in the ordinary way, just as if the improved apparatus were absent.

Now if it is assumed that the clutch members 8, 8 are suddenly engaged together, the speed of the secondary shaft 9 will be instantly increased thereby, because the pinion 6 has more teeth than there are teeth 7, and consequently the pinion 10 will drive the box 1 at an increased speed relatively to the speed of the mainshaft 2, the pawls 3 slipping over the teeth of the ratchet wheel 4 which is revolving at a lower speed.

This increase in the speed of the second. shaft 9 causes an increase in the speed or the drawing rollers, and consequently a decrease in the amount of true twisting.

Therefore in order to carry the improved method of this invention into effect by using the improved apparatus above described, it is merely necessary to provide the frame with a twist pinion so calculated to give the.

true twisting of the cop bottom, that is to say, an amount of twisting which is greater by about 15 to 20 per cent; for in stance than the ordinaryamount, and to keep the clutch 3 8 open from the beginning of the lift to about one-half or two-thirds of the cop bottom, and then to close the clutch suddenly at that point, thereby causing the twisting to change back instantly to its ordinary amount, up to the end of the lift.

The actuation of the mechanism for closing the clutch suddenly for the purpose of changing the twisting, and also the opening of the clutch may be effected by hand or by automatic means.

The latter way is much to be preferred, because it is not advisable to lay upon the attendants of the frames the further burden of a new and additional duty or maneuver.

1 illustrates, by way of. example, one arrangement of improved automatic apparatus for changing the twisting and for closing and opening the clutch at the proper times.

This improved apparatus comp ises two distant mechanisms, namely a mechanism as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 for closing the clutch and keeping it closed up to the end of the lift, and mechanism for opening the clutch at the end of the lift. The first mechanism then coming again into "action for keeping the clutch open during the spinning of the first great true twist up to the half or two-thirds of the cop bottom.

Asregards the first mechanism,t-he clutch member 8-is provided with pins 12 adapted to slide in holes in a cross piece 11 fixed on the second shaft 9, so that the clutch mornbor 8 while revolving continuously with this second shaft, is adapted to slide along this said second shaft into and out of engagement with the other clutch member 8.

This sliding movement of the clutch member 8 is produced by means of a lever 13 pivoted at 14 to bracket fixed to the framing 15 of the ring spinning frame. The lever 13 engages by means of a fork 13 with the sleeve of the sliding clutch memher 8. y

A spring 16 attachedto the framing and pivoted, at 20 on a bracket fixed to the roller stand frame.

The ring rail 21 is provided with an antifriction roller 22 which is adapted to strike the end of the beam 19 at a point of the lift of the ring rail. This roller 22 is ad justable in height and is arranged to strike the beam 19 at the desired instant and thereby disengage the catch 18 from the finger 17 of the lever 13 which on being thus released, is caused by the spring-16 to effect the sudden opening of the clutch 8, 8.

The beam 19 then continues its rocking movement in consequence of the continued lift of the ring rail 21 with which it moves down again during the downward copping traverse, and at the instant of the beginning of the lift or upward traverse, lever 19 strikes an adjustable stop 23 which keeps it in position for reengaging by means of its finger 17, the lever 13.

An adjustable stop 25 is provided for the lever 13 for the purpose of preventing the spring 16 from continuing to act upon the lever after the closing of the clutch, and thereby exerting a constant longitudinal thrust upon the shaft 9.

The mechanism which, at thebeginning of the lift, eifccts the opening of the clutch and the engagement of the lever 13 with the catch 18, comprises a finger 26 on the end of the lever 13,. which is movable in a link 27 that is connected by means of a bell-crank 23 pivoted at 29 on a fixed part, to the rod 30 ofa handle which is provided in all ring spinning frames for raising the thread-guides. The attendant after having lowered the ring rail to the bottom of its lift for the purpose of effecting the under-copping movement, pulls in the direction of the arrow, the handle of the rod 30 for raising the thread guides, causing the lever 13 to turn on its pivot and thereby cause its finger 17 to become engaged by the catch 18 of the rocking beam 19.

Beforetbe frame is started again, the attendant pushes back the rod 30 for lowering the thread guides, and thus causes the link 27 to be returned by the bell crank 28 thus giving freedom for subsequent movement of the finger 26 when the lever 13 is disengaged afterward.

The modifications shown in Figs. 4: and 5 are of similar construction and of minimum bulk. To this end, the pawl and ratchet box, which is diilicultand expensive to make, is dispensed with and the apparatus is con structed as follows.

The usual pinion which is fixedjon the,

driving shaft 2, and which in all ring spinning frames, drives the rollers and the windingon motion, is replaced by a similar pinion 31 which in this case however is loose on the shaft 2, and comprises a long sleeve 32, mounted in the ordinary bearing 33 of the driving shaft 2. This sleeve ends in a clutch half 34 with and from which a double clutch member 35 is arranged to be engaged and disengaged. This clutch member 35 is also arranged to engage alternately with a clutch half 36 fixed to the pinion 6 which is loose on the driving shaft 2, this shaft 2 may be provided with a bearing 37 between the pinion 6 and the side of the drum, for the purpose of avoiding all vibration.

The alternately-acting double clutch 34=3536,.may be of any suitable type, for instance of the friction or claw type. In the last case, the claws have preferably a shape similar to that of the claws of the clutches of the feed rollers of opening or beating machines.

The double clutch member 35 while sharing the rotation of the driving shaft 2, is capable of longitudinal movement in such a manner as to come alternately into engagement with one and the other of the clutch halves 34 and 36.

For that purpose the clutch member 35 is actuated by the shaft 2 by means of a crosspiece 38 fixed on the latter, and drivers 39 fixed to the clutch member 35. This arrangement assures the alternate engagement and disengagement of the clutch half 34 or the clutch half 36 while the clutch member 35 is moving longitudinally, so that there is no risk of the clutch member 35 I being out of engagement with both these clutch halves at one and the same time, except momentarily during the sudden changing of the clutch member 35 from one clutch half to the other.

The secondary shaft 9 has now only the pinions 7 and 10 fixed on it, and is disengaged from the rest of the moving parts of the apparatus.

By means of this improved apparatus, two different speeds of rotation of the pin.- ion 31 driving the drawing rollers, are ob tained according as the clutch half 34 or 36 is engaged by the clutch member 35.

As regards the modifications shown in Figs. 4 and 5 for effecting the automatic actuation of the hereinbefore described apparatus, they differ from the device shown in Fig. 1 only substantially by'the feature that the lever 13 for operating the double clutch member35 by means of a fork engaging a groove 40, in the said member, is arranged to rock in the reverse direction, that is to say, from right to left instead of from left to right. By reason of this movement the s rin 16 and the sto 25 are arran ed on v p h p b the other side of the lever, while the rocking beam 19 is constructed to correspond; the catch 18 on the end of the beam being arranged in the reverse way so as to allow the lever 13 to rock to the right.

The engagement of the lever 13 by the catch 18, instead of being effected by the mechanism for raising the thread guide plate, is now effected by the belt-shifting fork when the latter stops the frame by moving from the fast pulley on to the loose pulley.

WVhen the frame is started again by moving the fork back on to the fast pulley, the said fork pushes back the link 2? in such a manner ag'to leave in front of the finger 26 sufficient room to allow of a subsequent disengagement.

The modifications shown in Figs. 4 and 5 have numerous advantages, among which is the advantage of enabling the requisite room between the framing of the frame and the end plate of the first tin cylinder to be considerably reduced.

A further great advantage, inherent to this modification, is the increased twisting which it gives to the stretch of thread that is delivered between the instant of operating the belt-shifting fork for stopping the frame, and the actual stoppage of the latter. It reinforces the portion of thread comprised between the exit from the drawing rollers and the body of the spool or cop, thereby assuring an easier starting of theframe by preventing the numerous breakages of the thread which is a well known fault of the weft ring spinning frame.

It is tobe understood that the constructional details (or improvements in such constructional details) of the present improved apparatus and mechanism may be varied without departing from the nature of the present invention.

For instance, as regards the changing of the twist, in order to avoid any complications that might be caused by changing the pinion 31 (change of pinions 6, 7 and 10), use may be made of the arrangement indicated in dotted lines which is identical with the one hereinbefore described, with however the sole difference that the pinion 10' shown at 10 gears with a pinion 31 (having the same number of teeth as the pinion 31) fixed on the sleeve 32 of the said pinion 31. Consequently, solely the pinion 31 may be changed at will, and for this purpose, with the view of facilitating this operation which is always a rather lengthy matter, it will be sufficient to provide pinions 31 made in two parts, which construction will avoid the necessity of dismounting the two pulleys as well as the bearing for the loose pulley and pinion 31.

What I claim is:

1. The method of building a weft cop in a ring spinning frame, which comprises giving to the thread from the beginning of the.

formation of the cop until near the middle of the formation of the cop bottom, a constant twist, then suddenly decreasing the amount of twist during the remainder of the formation of the cop.

2. In a ring spinning machine, the combination of a main driving shaft, a cop spindle driven thereby, drawing mechanism, two speed gearing connecting the drawing mechanism to said shaft, and means controlled by the ring rail and operative when the cop has been partially completed for suddenly operating said gearing to change the speed of the drawing mechanism with respect to the main driving shaft and cop spindle.

3. In a ring spinning machine, the combination of a main driving shaft, a cop spindle and drawing mechanism connected to said shaft for operation thereby, and means controlled by the ring rail and operative when the cop has been partially completed for suddenly varying the relative speeds of the spindle and drawingmechanism.

4. In a ring spinning machine, the combination with a ring rail, drawing mechanism, a main shaft and a cop spindle driven from said main shaft, of changeable speed gearing for selectively driving said drawing mechanism from the main shaft at two different speeds, and including a clutch for determining at which of the speeds the drawing mechanism is to be driven, and controlling means for said clutch adapted to be operated by the ring rail when the formation of the cop has reached a desired stage.

5. In a ring spinning machine, the combination with a ring rail, drawing mecha nism, a main shaft, and a cop spindle driven from said main shaft, of changeable speed gearing for selectively driving said drawing mechanism from the main shaft at two different speeds and including an operating member for controlling the change in speed, and means operated by the ring rail when the formation of the cop has reached a certain stage for causing a speed changing movement of said operating member.

6. In a ring spinning machine, the combination with a ring rail, drawing mechanism, a main shaft, and a cop spindle driven from said main shaft, of changeable speed gearing for selectively driving said drawing mechanism from the main shaft at two different speeds and including an operating member for controlling the change in speed, means normally tending to shift said member to produce a change in the speed of said drawing mechanism, means for releasably holding the member against movement under the influence of the shifting means, and means operated by the ring rail when the formation of the cop has reached a certain stage for operating the holding means to release the operating member and permit a shifting of the same by the shifting means, to produce thereby a change in the speed of said drawing mechanism.

7. In a ring spinning machine, the combination with a ring rail, thread guide raising and lowering means, drawing mechanism, a main shaft, and a cop spindle driven from said main shaft, of gearing for selectively driving said drawing mechanism at different speeds, and including an operating member for controlling by its position the rate of speed of said drawing mechanism as driven by the gearing, means normally urging the member to one position to determine one rate of speed, means controlled by the ring rail for holding the member in another position to determine another rate of speed and against movement by the normally urging means and for releasing it to be shifted by said normally urging means when the formation of the cop has reached a certain stage, and means operated by the thread guide raising and lowering means for returning the operating member to theposition in which it is held against movement by the normally urging means.

8. ln ring spinning machines having a ring rail, thread guide raising and lowering means, drawing mechanism, a main shaft, and a cop spindle driven from the main shaft, the combination of means for driving said drawing mechanism at two different speeds, an operating member for selectively determining the driving speed when in different positions, means operated by the thread guide raising means for placing said member in one of its different positions, means tending to shift the member to another of its positions, a latch for preventing movement of said member by the shifting means, and means operated by the ring rail when the formation of the cop has reached a certain stage for shifting said latch to release the operating member whereby it can be shifted by the shifting means to a position to change the speed of the drawing mechanism.

9. In a spinning machine, the combination with drawing mechanism, a ring rail, a main shaft and a cop spindle driven thereby, of means for driving the drawing mechanism from the main shaft at two different speeds, and automatic means rendered active by the ring rail at a selected point in its vertical movement for causing a sudden change in said driving speeds when the formation of the cop has reached a desired stage.

10. In spinning machines the combination with thread guide raising and lowering means, drawing mechanism, 'a main shaft, and a cop spindle operated thereby, of means for driving the drawing mechanism from said shaft selectively at two different speeds, means operated by the thread guide raising and lowering means for setting the driving means to operate the drawing mechanism at one speed, and automatic means for causing said driving means to operate the rollers and devices at a higher speed when the formation of the cop has reached a certain stage.

11. In spinning machines the combination with a ring rail, thread guide raising and lowering means, drawing mechanism, a main shaft and a cop spindle operated thereby of means for driving the drawing mechanism from said main shaft at two different speeds, means operated by the thread guide raising and lowering means for setting the driving means between the shaft and drawing mechanism to operate the drawing mechanism at one speed, and automatic means operated by the ring rail for causing said driving means to operate the drawing mechanism at a higher speed when the formation of the cop has reached adesired stage.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MAURICE onANi i.

Witnesses T. OUMAIL, J. SERVIEL. 

